Since I'm venturing into competing into Freestyle, I have come to the conclusion it is quite ridiculous to have separate skates for performing each
particular event.

1) Why do you have to have one particular plate, boots and wheels to do "Figures".

2) Then have to switch to a completely different boot, skate and wheels to do Solo Dance.

3) Then you decide to perform jumps and spins, which requires a stiffer boot,
less action in the trucks/a different plate and then smaller wheels and less grip to perform the spins?

I noticed one big difference in my boots. I love my Berry Boots, but they are more like tennis shoes and I would say they resemble the Reidell 597 boots, which seems like a speed boots. Both my figure and dance boots have low heels.

When I went to my Freestyle Skates they have a big heels and force you to place the weight on the balls of your feet. On the Figure and Dance boots with the low heels your weight shifts from the ball to the heel.

3) Wheels... I have ventured to a little softer stickier wheel for Solo Dance, no turns. And figures always have the hardest wheels, but I'm still doing no turns. And in freestyle you need a harder wheel to spin.

Jumps you learn to skate with less grip sacrificing the grip on the jumps to the slide on the spins. Also the trend is smaller wheels, although in the 70's I did do freestyle on the larger 63mm wheels.

I do not know what the Champions were skating on, but I would not be surprised if they skated on smaller diameter wheels, like a 55-57 mm wheel. You do seem have more or better balance with a smaller diameter wheel for jumping and spinning.

So, I guess a more conventional boot, like a Reidell 297 or stiffer..ie. Silver Star or Gold Star, with the tall heel pushing the wt to the ball of the foot and a plate more like a Roll Line Energy as opposed to a specific Dance plate, or specific Figure plate without the toestop mount and taller wheel like the Bones 101, one could probably win at or on at a national Championship.

I think I could skate on the Roll Line Energy Plate, Edea Concerto Boot and the Bones 101A wheels in all three disciplines...Dance, Figure and Freestyle and win.

1) If I didn't have so much money invested in my equipment, I would probably change tomorrow for one skate.

2) I love my figure skates/special wheels and special boots. The Komplex 63 mm wheels work perfect for me. Yellow/hardest wheels for most of the wheels and the Green ones/stickiest for the push wheels. I did win a National Championship on those skates...lol????????????????????????

a) The "Ring" plate is close to a synder Imperial plate. And the boots, they just fit perfect and are semi tall boot. Similar to most peoples/Harlic and Reidell 336 boots.

3) My dance boot I think I could improve. I just ordered a taller boot/same make as my Figure boot, but with the soft interiors found on the Harlic and Reidell 336 boots. The wheels are a little stickier, ICE 97A, 95A and 92A combo.

4) The big difference is my Freestyle Boot. I'm running the EDEA Concerto and it is a Ice Skating boot and really expensive. It is also fairly stiff at 85. It has a tall heel and place my weight over the ball of my foot. But the wheels are small at 55 mm and the hardness is fairly hard at 97A.

5) So ,I do feel I could use my freestyle skates to skate Dance, Figures and Freestyle, but I would probably go to a taller wheel, like a 63mm Bones 101A for all three disciplines. The extra stiff boots and tall heel placing the weight over the ball of my foot, would work in Dance, figures and Freestyle, with good success. I think the stiff tall boots would make my edges better and make me stand taller in my Dance. I think it would be a good stiff boot for figures. And I think the Energy plate would give me just enough action to perform basic figures, most dances and all requirements for freestyle.

6) I know the Matrix plate is a freestyle plate and probably wouldn't work for
Dance and Figures. But I think the Synder Royal might work for all three disciplines because it is basically a Synder Imperial plate.

Sincerely,

Larry O and god bless you all...lol!

So, I guess what I'm saying is a Snyder Royal Plate/titanium with Bones 101A 63mm wheels and a tall boot with a high heel would be the ultimate. And that is the same combination used 50 years ago! Imagine that????????????